/5all You Need To Know About It
It is regular for everyone to wake up once or twice at night to drink water or use the loo. After we are done with the work, we get under the sheet and within minutes we fall back asleep to complete our 8 hours of sound sleep. For those suffering from diabetes, things are a little different.
Most diabetic patients wake up almost every night at the same time, around 3 pm, not by some noise or anything else, but because of the sudden spike in the blood sugar level. It can happen due to two reasons – the Somogyi effect or the dawn phenomenon.
What Are The Symptoms Of Hyperglycemia
Its especially important to know the early signs of hyperglycemia if you have type 1 diabetes. If hyperglycemia is left untreated in people with type 1 diabetes, it can develop into ketoacidosis, where ketones, which are toxic acids, build up in the blood. This condition is an emergency situation that can lead to coma or death.
Early symptoms of hyperglycemia include:
- High blood sugar.
- Unusual fruity smell on the breath.
- Deep labored breathing or hyperventilation.
- Rapid heartbeat.
Delayed Effects Of Fatty Foods
Blood sugar levels typically peak within an hour or so after eating. However, a high-fat dinner containing fried foods, pizza, or cheesy casseroles might delay this normal jump in blood sugar until the morning. Why? Large amounts of dietary fat can make it harder for insulin to do its job, explains Scheiner. Plus, fat slows down digestion and absorption, which could cause blood sugar to peak later than usual.
Possible solutions: Opt for fish, skinless poultry, beans, and vegetables sautéed in olive oil over foods high in saturated fat like fried foods and those covered in cheese. Filling up half your plate with vegetables can also help cut portion sizes of other foodsand your fat intake from those foods.
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Insulin Is Low An Important Difference
Only testing fasting blood glucose without testing fasting insulin tells you very little. Thats because two people could have exactly that same fasting blood glucose levels and have very different circulating insulin levels.5
It is all about the relationship between glucose and insulin and how they work in concert. This is called the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance or HOMA-IR. The name is a mouthful, but it simply means that the body is always trying to keep its essential systems in balance or in an equilibrium called homeostasis. Insulin is working against glucose in an attempt to keep blood sugar levels stable, a.k.a in homeostasis.6
In one individual for example someone with pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or polycystic ovarian syndrome insulin may over time be pulsed out in higher and higher amounts just to keep the blood sugar relatively stable. While fasting blood glucose could still be in the normal range, it is taking increasing amounts of insulin to keep it there. As insulin resistance develops, and insulin becomes increasingly ineffective to bring blood sugars down, blood sugars will eventually rise too high.
In a second individual someone who has been on the keto diet for a number of months and is now burning fat for energy much lower amounts of insulin are being pulsed by the pancreas to keep the glucose stable. You have now, therefore, improved your insulin resistance and only need small amounts of insulin to keep glucose in check.
Why Blood Sugar Levels Rise Overnight
When you go to bed, your blood sugar reading is 110, but when you wake up in the morning, it has shot up to 150. Why does this happen?
To understand how blood sugar levels can rise overnight without your eating anything, we have to look at where glucose comes from and where it goes while we sleep.
During the day, the carbohydrates we eat are digested into glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream. Some of this glucose goes to the liver, where it is stored for later use.
At night, while we are asleep, the liver releases glucose into the bloodstream. The liver acts as our glucose warehouse and keeps us supplied until we eat breakfast. The amount of glucose being used is matched by the amount of glucose being released by the liver, so blood sugar levels should remain constant.
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What Is Fasting Glucose
Fasting blood glucose is the level of blood glucose that you have when you check it early in the morning before eating anything. It is usually high and there are two main reasons to explain the same. The following phenomena are responsible for the high levels of fasting blood glucose in the morning:
What You Need To Know About High Morning Blood Sugar
How in the world can your blood sugar climb during the night when you’re not eating a thing? Before blaming the carbs in last night’s dinner, consider these other common culprits.
Waking up and seeing a high blood sugar reading can be … puzzling. However, it is not as uncommon as you think. Here is all you need to know about your blood sugar numbers in the morning and what may be contributing to it.
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Fasting & Elevated Blood Glucose
Type 2 diabetes for 20+ years. Started keto with intermittent fasting in January 2019. Why would my fasting blood glucose numbers during my 18-24-hour fast be elevated, then come down to normal ranges after eating?
Mindy
Fasting can definitely raise blood glucose. This is due to the effect of insulin falling and the rising counter-regulatory hormones including increased sympathetic tone, noradrenaline, cortisol and growth hormone, in addition to glucagon. These all have the effect of pushing glucose from liver storage into the blood. This is normal. If you are not eating, you want to use some stored glucose. The question is this if you are not eating, and your blood glucose went up, where did that glucose come from? It can only have come from your own body . So, its a natural phenomenon, and the fasting now allows your body to use some of the glucose for energy.
Dr. Jason Fung
High Blood Sugar In The Morning Only
Guest over a year ago
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-A over a year ago
I am off insulin and all other diabetic medications. The only time my sugars are high is when I wake up in the morning. I am Canadian so we use a different system for our blood sugar range but my A1C is good at 5.9. I think the only reason it is even that high is because of my morning highs. I don’t know what to do to get rid of them. I do not normally eat before bed but I have tried that in the past and nothing seems to get rid of my morning highs. My sugars were 5.4 when I went to bed and 6.7 when I woke up. I just don’t know what to try. Even when I was taking insulin and having lows all the time my sugars were still high in the morning. Anyone have any suggestions? -A
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Eat Protein In The Morning
To help bring blood sugar levels down eat something when you get up but make sure its a protein or a protien/ veggie breakfast.
If you go and eat loads of carbs for breakfast toast and cereals being the worst offenders when your blood glucose is already high, it will only push it up further.
Try eating a delicious veggie egg scramble, egg muffin cups, or a quick berry protein smoothie.
Why Would Insulin Resistance Cause High Blood Sugar In The Morning
The liver produces glucose during a fasting state such as overnight fasting while sleeping. Insulin is the only main hormone that regulates glucose production through the liver. Basically, when insulin levels go down glucose production goes up. When insulin levels go up glucose production goes down. In an insulin resistance state, which is similar to an insulin-deficient state since the liver does not recognize the communication that insulin is trying to deliver. So, the liver in a diabetic patient will end up making too much glucose as insulin does not work efficiently enough to regulate blood sugar production through the liver.
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Why Is My Morning Blood Sugar So High
A complex array of factors affects blood sugar levels, including hormones, diet, and lifestyle.
Q: I have prediabetes and now eat minimal carbs and sugar. My doctor told me to monitor my sugar levels, morning and night. At night, two hours after eating, my sugar levels are between 112 and 130 mg/dL . But in the morning, my fasting sugar level is always higher than the night number. Why is that? What am I doing wrong?
There are a few reasons why your blood sugar may be elevated in the morning. First, its important to understand that certain hormonal changes that occur overnight may lead to high blood sugar levels in the morning.
Finding The Cause Of Your Morning Blood Sugar High
Though the three most likely causes of high morning blood sugar can all be treated, first you have to know which one is the source of your condition. “If youre not sure, you might have to take the somewhat inconvenient step of waking up to check your blood sugar levels in the middle of your sleep pattern ” suggests Amori. Heres why:
- Consistent blood sugar from bedtime until about 3 a.m. and then a rise suggests the dawn phenomenon.
- Low blood sugar at 3 a.m. suggests the Somogyi effect.
- Blood sugar that increases from bedtime to 3 a.m. and then is even higher when you wake is probably due to waning insulin.
Using a continuous glucose monitor enables you to get this information without having to wake up for it. “These monitors potentially help identify patterns and severity of high and low blood sugars,” explains Amori.
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Apple Cider Vinegar & Cheese Before Bed
One small study found that having 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 oz cheese before bed may help reduce morning glucose by 4% to 6%.
Cheese on its own may reduce it by 2% but the acetic acid in the vinegar exerts additional positive influence. The best apple cider vinegar to use is this one by Braggs. If you cant stomach the vinegar, you can also purchase capsules. As for best cheese, cheddar is one of the best choices here, though you could try other options if you wish.
*NOTE: this tip alone is proving to help many people.
TESTIMONIALS:
After 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar & 1 oz cheese last night, my FBS in the morning is 98. It works! ~Dianne
I tried the vinegar and cheese before bed. It actually worked. My fasting reading was lower this morning. Thanks!~Michelle
Try it yourself: 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 oz cheese before bed.
What Should Blood Sugar Be In Morning
What we call fasting blood sugar or blood glucose levels is usually done six to eight hours after the last meal. So it’s most commonly done before breakfast in the morning and the normal range there is 70 to 100 milligrams per deciliter.
In respect to this, why my blood sugar is high in the morning?
High blood sugar in the morning may be caused by the Somogyi effect, a condition also called “rebound hyperglycemia.” It also may be caused by dawn phenomenon, which is the end result of a combination of natural body changes.
Secondly, is blood sugar higher in the morning? A person usually has slightly higher blood sugar or glucose levels in the morning. But, in some people with diabetes, these levels are significantly high. Diabetes can cause persistent symptoms that get worse over time, due to these blood sugar spikes.
Keeping this in view, what should a non diabetic blood sugar be in the morning?
Normal and diabetic blood sugar rangesFor the majority of healthy individuals, normal blood sugar levels are as follows: Between 4.0 to 5.4 mmol/L when fasting. Up to 7.8 mmol/L 2 hours after eating.
What is a dangerous level of blood sugar?
If your blood sugar level tops 600 milligrams per deciliter , or 33.3 millimoles per liter , the condition is called diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome. Severely high blood sugar turns your blood thick and syrupy.
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What To Do To Improve Insulin Resistance And Reduce Morning Blood Sugars/glucose Levels
There are ways you can do this. So number one and the best option is to do intermittent fasting, eating with portion control, exercising daily at least 30 minutes. If lifestyle changes are very difficult or not effective enough then we start discussing diabetes medications. Metformin or pioglitazone are too commonly prescribed medications for that purpose to defeat insulin resistance.
Exercise In The Afternoon
Exercise lowers blood sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity, which allows the body to use insulin and glucose more effectively, increasing glucose movement during and after exercise. Studies have shown that exercise will lead to optimal insulin regulation. Exercise after dinner will set you up for steady glucose levels through the morning.
Research has also shown that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise before breakfast reduced the morning rise of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes patients, partially counteracting the dawn phenomenon. The same study also found that exercise significantly reduced blood glucose fluctuations and improved blood glucose control throughout the day.
Some of the best exercises for avoiding morning blood sugar spikes include:
- A walk
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Starvation Can Cure Type 2 Diabetes
A new study shows that starvation can cure type 2-diabetes, just like gastric bypass surgery. Again, there is no need to explain the effect of the surgery with other speculative theories. The resulting starvation reverses diabetes. And the starvation isnt even necessary to do that. Guardian: Low-calorie diet offers hope of cure for type 2 diabetes Unnecessary starvation If a type 2 diabetic stops eating the symptoms of diabetes starts to go away. But starvation or surgery are unnecessarily painful ways to do it. Luckily diabetics can eat real food to satiety, as long as they avoid sugar and starch. The food that quickly turns into simple sugars in the gut. Cutting away their stomach or starving themselves is not necessary. All they need is good food. More Across the river for water: Surgery for diabetes PS A Gastric Bypass operation protects from eating too much carbohydrates in two ways. Number one: you can only eat miniature portions of anything. Number two: the smaller amounts of starch you eat is not digestedd as easily as the duodenum with the starch-digesting enzyme amylase is diverted from direct contact with the food.Continue reading > >
How Do I Prevent Hyperglycemia
- Exercise to help lower blood sugar. Work with your healthcare provider to make a daily activity plan.
- Follow your meal plan if you have one. Learn how carbohydrates impact your blood sugar, and work with your diabetes care team to find the best meal plan for you.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Dont smoke.
- Limit drinking alcohol. Alcohol can raise blood sugar levels, but can also cause dangerously low blood sugar levels. Work with your provider to determine how much is safe to drink.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 02/12/2020.
References
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How To Lower Morning Levels
Gaining tight control over your daily blood sugar levels by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, stressing less and getting good quality sleep, will all help control your morning readings.
But there is one simple trick that may help even more especially with the dawn phenomenon.
In patients with non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes, researchers managed to reduce morning glucose levels by 4 to 6 percent. That means if your morning glucose is around 130 mg/dl, it would decrease to about 122 mg/dl.
What did they do?
Before bed, they gave patients two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with water, along with one ounce of cheese, which is just one slice of cheese.
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which is what researchers believe causes most of the effect. Other studies have shown that acetic acid reduces post meal glucose levels and A1c, along with improving insulin sensitivity and the insulin response.
Give this simple bedtime trick a try yourself. Its easy to do and you never know tomorrow you might wake up with lower morning levels, too.
Editors note: Are you feeling unusually tired? You may think this is normal aging, but the problem could be your master hormone. When its not working, your risk of age-related diseases skyrockets. To reset what many call the trigger for all disease and live better, longer, click here to discover The Insulin Factor: How to Repair Your Bodys Master Controller and Conquer Chronic Disease!
Recap: Quick Tips For Battling High Blood Sugar In The Morning
- Try drinking your Muniq shake at night
- Try one shake in the morning and one at night
- Experiment with half a shake in the morning and half at night
- Try switching up your meal times
- Add more protein to your diet
- Try adding a little more healthy fat to your diet like olive oil or avocado
- Exercise daily, especially after your evening meal
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